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Mahopac basketball tabs former Pace coach Jim Harter

After a deliberate search, Mahopac will appoint former Pace coach Jim Harter as its new boys basketball coach on Tuesday. Harter will replace Kevin Downes, who resigned in the wake of racial tensions that surrounded the program in March.

No matter who was hired, the new Mahopac boys basketball coach faced a challenge. The district's deliberate search for Kevin Downes' replacement — and for someone to handle that delicate situation — ended this week, and Mahopac believes it has found the right man.

Interim superintendent Dr. Brian Monahan will recommend former Pace coach Jim Harter, who is expected to be appointed at Tuesday's school board meeting.

Harter already met with several returning players on Thursday.

"He's a relatively quiet, well-spoken guy," Monahan said. "I think he's the right guy — the right person at the right time in Mahopac's history."

Harter is the son of former NBA and college coach Dick Harter, who coached for seven NBA organizations, including as the first head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 1988-90. The younger Harter was 224-213 and led the team to three Division II NCAA tournament appearances in 16 seasons at Pace before he was fired in 2013.

The Golden's Bridge resident volunteered as an assistant for the Somers varsity last season. He also coached AAU this summer for the East Coast Panthers, an organization run by Somers coach Chris DiCintio.

"I never really coached high school before, so if I had just gone in cold turkey I probably wouldn't have known what to expect," Harter said. "But my time at Somers definitely helped me to prepare."

Downes, a Mahopac graduate, resigned in March after racially charged tweets circulated in the wake of Mahopac's Class AA semifinal loss to Mount Vernon. In seven seasons, Downes led the Indians to a program-record four straight trips to the County Center, and has since been hired as the head coach at Yorktown.

"I know it was a good program; it was just something that happened," Harter said. "But as far as the overall program and the tradition they've had going on over the years, I felt it was a good program and good opportunity for me as a coach."

Monahan, who himself was hired in June, said turmoil that occurred this winter led to the prolonged coaching search. Still, he is satisfied with the result.

"It was certainly a careful process," Monahan said. "The district was not rushing into it. There were other candidates, but I think it's fair to say experience was important here. I think Jim brings that to the table."